Stunned woman describes Milford carjacking

Updated 6:29 pm, Saturday, November 26, 2011

MILFORD -- A woman who was carjacked at gunpoint in the Lowe's parking lot Friday night is thankful she was not injured.

But she said she learned two important lessons: lock your vehicle's doors and always be on your guard.

According to police, the woman was waiting in the parking lot for her husband who had just gone into the Old Town Lane store shortly after 9 p.m.

The woman, a 35-year-old Monroe resident, said Saturday morning she was "stunned and still a bit shaken up" after the carjacking of her 2007 Saturn Ion. The woman, whose name is being withheld by the Connecticut Post, said her husband had gone into the store to purchase a few quick items.

"I had left the car running with the doors unlocked," she said. "Within 30 seconds this man got into the car and pointed a gun at me and said `get out of the car.' It was so quick that in a split second I had thought it was my husband returning, but then he said `get out of the car' again.

"I got out of the car as quickly as I could and he drove away, not speeding away."

After the car left, the woman stood in the parking lot, momentarily stunned by the experience. "Then I started screaming and a group of people came up to me and stayed with me until one of them went into the store and got my husband. They were very friendly to me."

Police described the suspect as a black male, 20-30 years of age, wearing a ski mask, dark sunglasses, a dark hooded, baggy sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Police, with the assistance of OnStar vehicle security, recovered the unoccupied vehicle near West Spring Street and Ridge Court in West Haven.

The Monroe woman said the man who stole her car may have "just needed a ride." Still she said he is shocked "that people like that can be so desperate and reached that point to do such a thing and didn't know any better."